Concluding Exhortations

1. Keep on loving each other as brothers
2. Don’t forget to entertain strangers
3. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner
4. Marriage should be honored by all
5. Keep your lives free from love of money
6. Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you
7. Jesus is the savior yesterday and today and forever
8. Do not be carried away with all kinds of strange teachings
On reading this chapter I was in truth very cavalier about it. These general guidelines for christian living sound obvious to me - just a laundry list of what I should and should not do.

But when putting this letter into context, the letter makes perfect sense. This letter was written to rally christians who may have been leaning back to Jewish law. Basic christian fundamentals had to be spelled out clearly!

The blood of sacrificial animals where no longer necessary, because Jesus had sacrificed His life for our sins.

On a more personal level, I felt ashamed that I had been reading the Bible with such a casual attitude. I was reading it like it was a homework assignment. In hindsight, I should be reading the Bible with reverence and humility, never forgetting these words are from God.

Lord, thank you for your words, direction, and wisdom.
Help me to keep the proper perspective when reading the Bible. Amen.